‘Cry Macho’ On Hold Or Possibly Dead
It has been a pretty ugly year for Arnold Schwarzenegger thus far. While it started off promisingly with the former Governor heading back into films with his choice of plum projects, things quickly took a downward spiral. His proposed cartoon “The Governator” was a complete embarrassment and then the scandal and subsequent divorce proceedings by his ex-wife Maria Shriver caused all Arnie projects to be put on hold. Well, there’s no better way back into the hearts of America than by blowing some shit up and while he was initially tipped to do the far more sensitive horse trainer drama thingy “Cry Macho” that has now been put on the back-burner.
Deadline reports that Arnie will be back, but instead, will topline Kim Ji-Woon‘s “The Last Stand.” The film was one of a handful the action star was considering back in the spring and it has now moved right to the top of the list with a September start date now being eyed. Originally developed, and already pre-sold to many territories with Liam Neeson in the lead, the project has a script by first-time writer Andrew Knauer and veteran Jeffrey Nachmanoff (”Traitor”), and follows a small-town sheriff trying to stop a drug-cartel leader who has just busted out of prison. Certainly, killing a few drug dealers will help erase the memory that you banged your housekeeper a bit more easily that a movie where actual acting is required.
But for those hankering for Arnie The Thespian rather than Arnie The Commando, “Cry Macho” is still on deck with Brad Furman (“The Lincoln Lawyer“) directing, but it has now been moved to a potential February 2012 start, though Deadline suggests it could now be completely dead.
Whether or not Arnie can bring the goods after being away so long is the big question, but he’ll certainly have an able director in Ji-Woon. The helmer is behind one our favorite films of the year so far, “I Saw The Devil” and has already shown his own unique flair in the Western genre with “The Good, the Bad, the Weird.” So, Arnie and Kim Ji-Woon? It’s about as inspired and baffling as Spike Lee and “Oldboy” but hell, we’re intrigued all the same.
